Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 9/9/2019

Florida banks post modest gain in profits

Profits inched up during the second quarter in Florida’s steadily shrinking banking industry. The state’s 113 banks and thrifts earned a combined $507 million in the April-June period, a scant 1.8% increase from the $498 million profit one year earlier, according to data released last week by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Profits also rose from the $467 million earned in the first quarter of 2019. But Florida still has some struggling lenders. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

It’s the peak of hurricane season: Systems being monitored for development

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three systems in the Atlantic, including one forecasters said could strengthen as it nears the already storm-ravaged Bahamas. Tropical Storm Gabrielle is still heading east through the Atlantic and could near Ireland by week’s end. Meanwhile, Floridians should keep their eye on the two other systems. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Sean “Sonny" Nguyen grew up going with his parents to the businesses around Mills Avenue and Colonial Drive for groceries like fish sauce and Asian produce. Now, the son of parents who migrated from Vietnam is opening a modern take on a Japanese pub called Tori Tori this month in Orlando’s Mills 50 neighborhood. The pub is the latest in a wave of new businesses that have brought more diversity in recent years to the neighborhood known as “Little Vietnam” and “Little Saigon" because of its concentration of Vietnamese stores and restaurants. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Tech firm considering site in Boca Raton for national headquarters

A national company is considering a site in Boca Raton for its headquarters that could bring $55.6 million in economic impact, according to the Palm Beach County Commission agenda for Tuesday. The undisclosed company would invest $1.35 million to lease, renovate and equip a 12,500-square-foot space in Boca Raton. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Bahamian evacuees fleeing the destruction of Hurricane Dorian were abruptly kicked off a Florida-bound ferry late Sunday night. Bahamians waited in line at the Freeport port in Grand Bahama all day Sunday to board the boat scheduled to sail to Fort Lauderdale that evening. Once boarded, crew members ordered at least 100 people to get off after checking for U.S. visas just minutes before departure. More from the Miami Herald.

Billed as the largest inflatable adventure park in the United States, Jumpin Fun Inflata Park opened in Lakewood Ranch last weekend. Before Jumpin Fun Inflata Park opened last weekend, it was called Jumpin Fun Sports, which was a trampoline park. The owner, Brett Morrow, saw the inflatable park trend taking over Europe in the past year and decided to bring it here, creating what he says is the largest inflatable adventure park in the United States.

Out of the Box ‘Irreplaceable’ cars worth millions kept in high-rise penthouse during Hurricane Dorian

If you have a couple million bucks to dish out on a luxury car, where do you store it when a possible natural disaster approaches? For Prestige Imports owner, Brett David, it’s all about their relationship with the developer of the Porsche Design Building Gil Dezer. Dezer’s building is famous for its unique elevator system that brings your car to your apartment, up to the 56th floor. Most apartments in the building have space for two cars and the penthouses have space for 11 cars.